The Belgian capital Brussels is famous for its beautiful guild houses on the impressive Grand Place, the beautiful Royal Palace, the Manneke Pis statue, Brussels lace, the delicious chocolates and waffles, the countless monuments, the flea market, the St. Hubert shopping arcade and the characteristic Atomium. And this is just a fraction of what the city has to offer.
Accessibility Brussels
The Belgian and European capital is located in the middle of Belgium, on the border of Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia . Brussels is located fifty kilometers south of Antwerp. The distance Utrecht-Brussels is 175 kilometers. That ride takes two and a half hours. The train journey takes just as long and you will not have parking problems. The Thalys and the Intercity Amsterdam-Brussels run from Amsterdam to Brussels every day in less than three hours. Below is an overview of the countless places in the city that you should not miss when visiting.
The big market
The Grote Markt is one of the world’s most beautiful city squares. There is no tourist who has not been impressed by the beauty of this square. Although the square is centuries old, its origin is still remarkable because there was never a square originally. It was once a sandpit through which the river Senne ran. There were two groups that laid claim to the plot of land. Ultimately, the group that got their hands on it turned it into the low market. In the twelfth century, Brussels was already a flourishing center where French wine, German beer and English wool were traded. This happened in the same market. The first houses were built in the Middle Ages and from the fourteenth century onwards the rich came to live there and had large mansions built there. It became more and more an administrative center. Construction of the town hall began in 1402 and the houses were gradually replaced by stone houses inhabited by guild members .
In August 1695 the square was bombed by the French and rebuilding of the square began again. In the centuries that followed, most of the houses on the square became private property and it was agreed that the exterior of the houses should remain intact. Some houses have names, including The Wheelbarrow, The King of Spain, The Bag, The Fox, The Horn, The She-Wolf, Mount Tabor, The Rose, The Golden Tree, The Swan and The Star. The square also houses the Broodhuis, the house of the Dukes of Brabant and of course the town hall. Nowadays the Grand Place is the central point in Brussels and also the biggest tourist attraction . Music events are held there and there are many terraces.
Manneken Pis
The statue of Manneken Pis was made in the early 17th century by Jerome Duquesnoy who was commissioned to make a bronze version. There has been a fountain in the same place since the Middle Ages. Manneke Pis is somewhat hidden in a busy tourist street, not far from the Grote Markt. It is considered to represent the Brussels spirit and is known all over the world. The origin of the statue remains uncertain, meaning its history is intertwined with various legends . An example of such a legend is that Manneke Pis is said to have saved the city from a fire by watering out the fire.
Another story concerns a wealthy citizen of Brussels who lost his only son and found him after days of searching while he was urinating on the corner of Stoofstraat. This happy reunion is said to have led to the construction of the original fountain . A third legend is completely different: A little boy had urinated on the door of a witch who lived on the spot where the fountain still stands. The witch was so angry that she turned the little boy into a statue. The statue has withstood a lot. In 1695 it was brought to safety by the people of Brussels during French bombardments on the city. The statue was stolen by first enemy armies, including English and later French soldiers, and was eventually found broken.
Manneke Pis / Source: Zeerood, Flickr (CC BY-2.0) Since then, the original statue has been in the city museum and a copy is on the corner of Stoofstraat and Eikstraat. Manneke Pis has an impressive wardrobe consisting of more than 600 costumes that are given to him on all kinds of occasions or designed by Jacques Stroobants, the statue’s official dresser. His first piece of clothing dates from 1698, a suit received from the Bavarian prince Max Emanuel. Manneke Pis wears American and Belgian uniforms, doctor hats and all kinds of other attributes. Among the costumes is also a luxurious suit from the XVIII century of a marquis whose origins are unknown. The collection also includes exotic garments, such as a grass skirt and dance costume from Urund. He also has folk costumes: including the matyo that the Hungarians living in Belgium gave him.
From a simple fountain, Manneke Pis has grown into a world figure , a symbol of carefreeness but also of resistance against occupiers over the centuries. No matter what happens, Manneke Pis remains standing and continues to pee.
The Atomium
The Atomium is an overwhelming and spectacular steel monument consisting of nine spheres, built in 1958 close to the Heysel stadium. It was built for the World Exhibition in Brussels. It is also called the Eiffel Tower of Paris, but it is incomparable. The Atomium is a visual representation of the concept of an atom. It symbolizes an iron crystal with its nine atoms and magnified no less than 150 billion times. This was a tribute to the metal industry. The architect is André Waterkeyn and it took a year and a half before the idea could be implemented. And the implementation also took another year and a half.
Atomium / Source: Pexels, PixabayThe monument has a coating of aluminum, weighs 2400 tons and is 102 meters high. It has recently been completely renovated. Each sphere has a diameter of 18 meters. Visitors can take an elevator up to the top sphere where a magnificent view of the city can be expected. There is also a restaurant in this sphere. Exhibitions are held in the other spheres and can be reached by escalators. The Atomium is truly a feat of technical ingenuity and engineering that attracts busloads of tourists every day. You can get there yourself by taking metro line 1a from Brussels Central Station to the Heizel station.
Additional sights in Brussels and hot spots:
- Bruparck (next to Atomium), an amusement park consisting of four parts, namely Mini-Europe where you can see the most famous buildings in Europe in miniature format, Océade (subtropical swimming paradise with eleven slides), Kinepolis cinema (largest cinema in the Benelux) and The Village for bars and restaurants.
- Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.
- Exchange building.
- Church of Saint Caterine.
- City Hall.
- European Parliament, futuristic buildings with flags of member countries, near Leopold Park.
- Belvue Museum (history of the Belgian royal family).
- Museum of Brussels in the Broodhuis.
- Theater.
- Royal Palace.
- Cinquantenaire Park, a huge park with gardens, waterfalls, ponds and various buildings.
- Church of the Grand Sablon.
- Palace of Charles of Lorraine (rococo style furnishings).
- Royal Museums of Fine Arts (four museums under one roof).
- Monument Godefroid de Bouillon.
- Comic strip museum, also called the Belgian Comic Strip Center (including Tintin, Spirou, Guust Flater, Suske en Wiske, Lucky Luke and the Smurfs) and comic strip route along more than 20 comic strip facades (Brussels is the city of famous cartoonists).
- Court of Appeal.
- Chinese Pavilion (museum of oriental art) and Japanese Tower.
- Museum Horta (a former home and studio of Belgian architect Victor Horta).
- Brussels flea market in the Marolles working-class district.
- Autoworld Automuseum with hundreds of rare cars.
- Albertine Complex (including the Palace of the Dynasty, the Congress Palace and the Royal Library).
- Justice Palace, one of the largest European buildings from the 19th century.
- Herb garden with iris garden in spring and Botanique building.
- Chocolaterie Duval.
- Fuse, the club of Brussels, the dance temple with three floors and international DJs and theme nights.
- Place de Broudrère and Boulevard Anspach.
Shopping in Brussels
An attraction in itself is the covered St. Hubertus Gallery with luxurious shops, tea rooms, chocolate shops and restaurants. The gallery has marble columns and a glass roof, and is within walking distance of the Grote Markt. If you are looking for the big chains such as H&M, ZARA, Kruidvat, Hema, etc., go to Nieuwstraat. You will also find the largest department store in Belgium here, the INNO . This department store has five floors with perfumery, cosmetics, men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and many home accessories. If you like boutiques, take a look at Rue Antoine-Dansaert. For more unusual items, design and galleries, try the St. Géry area, as well as the Rue Lombart and the narrow streets towards the market. Lots of money left? For the more expensive brands such as Armani, Versace and Prada, take Avenue Louise. Plenty of haute couture. If you prefer to have all the shops under one roof, you can go to one of the indoor shopping centers. Some names: City 2, Westland Shopping, Woluwe Shopping and Basilix Shopping.
Don’t forget to taste the famous Brussels waffles and chocolate!
Brussels is suitable for all seasons. Train travel including hotel booking is relatively cheap and the journey is short. A weekend in Brussels is fun, but those who want more shopping should count on at least three to four days or… come back several times.
Belgium is the best remedy against patriotism” ~ Geert Van Istendael
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